Mom awaits Russian adoption

Tuesday

Jan 29, 2013 at 9:51 AM

A single parent of three biological children, Jody Johnson called to adopt a child with special needs while following the international adoption process with a friend. Since traveling to meet 6-year-old Oksana last August, Johnson is confident that, despite the recently invoked Russian ban, she will be able to bring her future daughter home to Schwenksville in the Lehigh Valley area this year.

SUSAN JORSTAD

A single parent of three biological children, Jody Johnson called to adopt a child with special needs while following the international adoption process with a friend. Since traveling to meet 6-year-old Oksana last August, Johnson is confident that, despite the recently invoked Russian ban, she will be able to bring her future daughter home to Schwenksville in the Lehigh Valley area this year.

"I always wanted to adopt and thought I had to wait for a house or a husband or something, and then I started to look at my life and realized there was nothing lacking," said Johnson, 37. "I talked to my kids and they were excited and said "Let's do it."

Concerned for her sons

An Air Force sergeant stationed at Horsham Air Guard Station in Willow Grove, Johnson had some concerns that her older two sons, who don't live with her, might feel displaced, but her worries were assuaged after talking with her 18-year-old.

"He said, 'Having a family is the best thing that ever happened to me. "» What kind of a person would I be if I didn't accept someone because they weren't perfect?' He said, 'Sure, no problem, I think it's a great idea.'"

"My 12-year-old said, 'I'm just a little bit worried that people might pick on her.' I said, 'Well, they might and you have to be a big brother and stand up for her, and he was OK with that."

Oksana, who has Down syndrome, had previously been turned down by 26 other prospective parents.

"She has no medical issues. Her parents signed over their rights a month after she was born," Johnson said. "Their society has no infrastructure, no special schooling.There is no accommodation for special needs. The doctor there was surprised that we will be able to get her eyeglasses because she isn't able to communicate. They don't think/know that DS children can be educated."

First meeting

At their first meeting in August, Oksana looked "a little scared," said Johnson, who studied American Sign Language in college. She took one of the little girl's hands as the translator spoke to her in Russian. Johnson returned to the United States and continued steps to finalize the adoption.

Russian parliament and President Vladimir Putin signed legislation banning the adoption of Russian children by American parents, a law which many view as payback for a U.S. law targeting Russians judged for human rights violators. It took effect Jan. 1 and impacts 52 Russian orphans who were already awaiting American homes with parents in various stages of the adoption process.

Johnson has been doing a lot of research since the ban.

"Russian newspapers, bloggers — the actual people in the country — think it's ridiculous, so it's not a nationwide sentiment," Johnson said.

"I used to think that Russian parents were terrible for giving up their special needs child. But then it became clear to me that they don't have the support or resources to care for them, and some of them are just told their children will never be anything and they're persuaded to give them up," Johnson said.

"You can't adopt in this country the way you can overseas. In our country children with special needs have the option of group homes and good care. In Russia, most of them will die by the time they are 8 years old because of neglect."

There is also a widespread concern by Russians that Americans just want to harvest their organs, said Johnson. "Because in their society, they don't see that these children have value. I was only allowed in the front office (of the orphanage)."

No word since December

Since submitting her court dossier through her agency in December, Johnson has received no word on the status of the adoption.

"They're waiting to vote on whether they will allow special-needs adoptions to continue. A proposed amendment would exempt special-needs adoptions from the ban."

The Vladimir region, from which Johnson is adopting, requires four trips. Johnson has visited once relative to the adoption process. She is waiting to hear whether Russia will allow the adoption to continue before returning for a mandatory court hearing and she completed 80 hours of required training.

"I'm not discouraged. I've been so confident through this whole process," Johnson said. "I believe that God wants her home, that he's put me in this place on purpose and I should see no reason to fear that she won't come home."

Timely funding

Funding for Oksana's adoption has also been timely.

"As it stands now, this process is going to be close to $50,000 for me. I've saved pennies, sold furniture out of my house. I've made dresses and been selling those to people all over the country, in addition to working full time and taking care of my family. A woman I didn't know sent me a check for $13,000 because she'd heard my story through a friend of mine.

"I think that God worked to show me that he would handle it and I didn't need to worry about it. At every turn, my prayers were answered. I always received just what I needed at the time it was needed. So I really have no fear that this adoption won't happen — she'll come home when she's supposed to come home. I believe she knows that I'm coming back for her."

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